Save Me From The End
by DuRiechstSoGut98
Summary: Private Genevieve Ironheart, a soldier with the COG, lost her entire squad and now travels with Delta squad. Marcus acts tough and cold, but Jenny knows better than that. Better than anyone. MarcusxOC, I suck at summaries.
1. No One Left Behind

She ran as fast as her legs would allow her, dodging bullets here and there. A brick building stood ominously in the distance, and that was her target. Dilapidated walls exploded with the gunfire that was chasing her. She could feel the lactic acid building up in her legs, her lungs ready to explode. She made a sharp turn into the building and ducked underneath a dusty, old window. She tried to slow her breathing, but nothing happened. Her breathing sped up once more when she heard a Locust outside the window.

"Diiiiiie." It hissed.

The window exploded above her and showered her with glass. She got onto her stomach and crawled as fast as she could. If she stood up, she would dead. If she stayed here with no ammo and her armor failing, she would be dead as well. She scrambled to her feet and ducked into a stairwell. Suddenly, there was more gunfire than usual, then silence. The young girl took this opportunity to poke her head up. She could see that the Locusts were dead, but who had saved her? She ducked around the corner outside and pointed her Lancer directly into a Latino man's face.

"Whoa whoa, calm down I'm on your side!" He shouted, holding his hands up.

"Who are you?" She demanded, failing to notice the COG insignia on his armor.

"Sergeant Marcus Fenix, and you are to put that gun down _now._"

She reluctantly obliged, and then her training kicked in. She snapped Marcus a crisp salute. He merely grunted at her.

"At ease soldier. What's your name and rank? And where is the rest of your squad?"

"Private Genevieve Ironheart, sir. My squad and I were separated, they're presumed dead." She replied quietly.

A blonde man had looked her up and down and got very close to her.

"Jeez, they let kids into the COG these days? How old are you?"

"Twenty-two, sir. Old enough." She replied with a hint of distaste for the man who had referred to her as a 'kid.'

"Regardless of how old you are Private, you're coming with us." Marcus growled, continuing on.

"But sir, I don't have any ammo. I ran out a while ago and I've been running ever since."

"Oh, that's why you use the chainsaw baby! It's there for a reason!" A large black man chuckled.

"My squad mate tried that." Genevieve replied, holding up his COG tags. "You can see how well that worked."

While Delta squad trekked onward to some nameless destination, Genevieve (or Jenny, as Cole liked to call her) learned a lot about her new squad mates. She felt sorry for Dom, he's been searching for his wife for eleven years with no luck. Ben Carmine was adorable, he was a little rookie that was desperate to prove himself in battle. Baird and Cole were two knuckleheads on the outside, but both were very intelligent, especially Baird. Marcus…he was something else. He was a seasoned war veteran with a deep hatred for the Locusts. He didn't seem to like Jenny. She wasn't sure if it was something personal, or if was just like that with everyone. Dom rubbed her back and slapped a fresh ammo clip in her hand.

"Don't take it personally." He whispered, "Marcus is like that with everyone. You just have to earn his respect."

Suddenly, Marcus stopped short which caused Jenny to collide into his armored back. He ducked down and the rest of Delta squad followed suit. He pointed at a high tower, which Jenny could barely see a mounted Troika with an eager Locust standing behind it. Jenny ducked and ran to nearby cover, which happened to be a worn-down wall. She carefully poked her head up and heard the Troika whirr as it aimed at her. She tucked and rolled into the next cover, but she wasn't fast enough. The bullets had penetrated her armor and shot right through her. She crumpled on the ground in pain as Cole hurled a grenade up in the tower. It exploded, and soon Delta squad was showered in warm blood and Locust chunks.

"Don't EVER do something that stupid again. You could've been killed!" Marcus screamed as he undid her chest armor.

The plain white tank top she wore underneath was now a deep red color. He picked her up bridal style and jogged into a nearby building. Dom and Cole stood watch outside and Marcus observed Baird try and do a make-shift surgery to get the bullets out.

"We don't have any anesthesia to give you, so just squeeze my hand." Marcus stated calmly.

Immediately, Jenny grabbed his hand and squeezed until she almost broke his fingers. Baird chuckled as he finally dug out the last bullet and dropped it on the floor. He took out a first-aid kit and filled her wounds with an anti-bacterial cream and bandaged her abdomen.

"Well, lucky for you the bullets didn't hit anything vital. Nothing I can see anyway. You're probably not going to able to fight, let alone walk. Someone's going to have to carry you around."

He wiped his hands on his already-bloody armor. "Congratulations toots, you just became one huge burden and liability."

Marcus scooped her up bridal style yet again, and walked out of the building.

"We need as many soldiers as we can get, so we're going to take turns carrying her. As long as she doesn't strain her injury, she'll be fine." Marcus stated to the rest of the squad, and they all nodded and headed out.

He looked down at her, she had fallen asleep already. Her collarbone-length red hair was a tangled mess, and much longer than regulation would allow. Her skin was very pale, either by nature or her loss of blood. Her deep blue eyes opened and she smiled up at the Sergeant.

"Thanks for not leaving me behind sir." She groaned in pain.

Marcus stared off in the distance, not looking down at her.

"A good soldier never leaves a man—or woman—behind."


	2. Bereave Me

Jenny hung limp in Dom's arms, somehow sleeping through the pain. She stirred lightly and Dom stopped in his tracks.

"She's waking up." He whispered, gently putting her down.

She opened her eyes suddenly, standing on her own two feet as though nothing had happened. She felt on her back and chest for her gun, and was shocked that she couldn't find either…or even her armor for that matter.

"What the hell happened?" She asked, panicking.

"You were shot, remember?" Marcus growled, throwing his Lancer over his shoulder.

She looked confused and lifted her shirt to see there was only dried blood, no bullet wound to speak of. She poked and prodded at her abdomen to try and find some kind of wound, but miraculously there was none to be found.

"What the fuck? You were just shot not even three hours ago, and you're magically healed? Are you some kind of mutant or something?"

Then it hit her. She looked at the curious faces around her, then back down to her own sweaty palms.

"I'd rather not talk about it, because it's really personal and extremely painful." She mumbled.

"That may be, but we deserve an explanation." Marcus stated, getting close to her. "So start talking."

Jenny shifted slightly and began to wring her hands. She took a deep breath and began to share her troubled, painful childhood.

"Well…I don't really know how to say it, but I was subjected to a lot of tests when I was growing up."

"What kind of tests?" Baird asked, crossing his arms.

"Like…experiments. It started when I was five. I don't know who was doing them, but I remember my dad pushing for it, saying that it would be for good of the world. We surely would've ended the Pendulum wars."

"What was it like?" Dom asked curiously.

"Worse than any hell you could imagine." She replied dismally. "I sat in a bed all day with needles in me; I have scars from the surgeries they would perform. The Union of Independent Republics (UIR) thought they could create some kind of super soldier. There were hundreds of kids there, and I was the only one who survived. They shut down the facility sometime before the surrender, and they ordered me to be executed to cover up their war crimes. The man who was supposed to took me out back in the woods for miles. When we finally got there, he let me go."

"Wow…did anyone even know about this?" Dom seethed.

Marcus had an air of rage and pity about him. No one had deserved something like that, but at the same time it wasn't surprising that they would do something horrible. But of that magnitude? Ridiculous. Marcus pressed on his ear.

"Control, this is Delta…I need you to look into something for me."

"NO!" Jenny screamed, slapping his hand away from the earpiece. "Please, no one can know about this. I'm begging you, don't tell them. It isn't worth it."

"Don't you want to see them brought to justice? They would be executed for something like that!" Marcus shouted.

"Death is too good for him. Besides, he's probably long gone now!"

Marcus kicked the dirt hard and glared at her, but he knew she was right. He retracted his favor from control and stared at her. Suddenly, he slapped her across the face.

"What the fuck Marcus?" She screamed, holding her cheek.

"Grow up, I didn't hit you that hard. You're a soldier first and a woman second."

She shoved him as hard as she could, but Marcus wouldn't even budge. Desperate to discharge a fight, Baird pitched in.

"So how long did those bastards keep you? Is there anything useful you can do?"

She stopped shoving Marcus for a moment and thought hard.

"It started when I was five, and ended when I was…eleven I think. The only thing I gained from years of torture is the ability to heal considerably faster, and…" She trailed off.

Baird nodded sarcastically and motioned for her to continue.

"Sometime I glow when I'm feeling extreme emotions." She murmured, embarrassed by the stupid ability she was stuck with.

Baird let out a thunderous roar of laughter.

"Wait, wait…you glow? Oh my God, that's hilarious! What, are you going to turn into a little ball of sunshine if you get too happy?"

His laugh was interrupted when Jenny punched him right in the jaw. Baird stopped, and spit out blood. He gritted his teeth at her and she stood her ground. He looked at his commanding officer who did nothing. He threw his arms in the air and began to walk away.

"Jesus Baird, you had it coming. If anything, I should thank her." Marcus shouted at him.

Baird merely flipped him off and kept walking.

"We should probably follow him." Dom sighed and walked on.

Everyone silently agreed and followed suit. Jenny stayed behind the group, staring at the ground her feet walked on. She almost felt sorry for it, the way it was destroyed during the Pendulum Wars. She felt sorrier for herself however, and she felt sorry for her father whenever she would see him again. Well, if she ever saw him again. He disappeared on E-day, and she hadn't heard from him since. Good riddance, if she ever saw him again it would be too soon. Her dismal thoughts were interrupted as Marcus slammed himself into cover, shouting about Locust ahead. Jenny dived into cover next to Marcus and carefully watched for Locust. Marcus was too busy looking over her shoulder for enemies to notice a Locust had been standing over him, the chainsaw on his Lancer revving up.

"Look out!" The young private shrieked.

Without thinking, She jumped from her cover and revved her own Lancer bayonet, starting at the Locust Drone's shoulder and cutting diagonally through the heart and major internal organs. She was showered with blood, screaming with joy as the Drone fell to her feet in two large pieces. She wiped blood away from her eyes and laughed wildly as she charged ahead, shooting at what was left of the Locust. Marcus quickly followed and revved his bayonet, cutting through the last Locust. He didn't realize Jenny was on the other side of him, cutting his legs off. After the Locust was in pieces at their feet, Marcus genuinely smiled at the young woman who was wiping blood off her face.

"You did good Private." He remarked. "Keep doing crazy shit like that and you might actually survive."

"Crazy shit like chain sawing through Locust, and not diving in front of a Troika?" She asked sarcastically.

"Yeah yeah…and considering you saved my life, I believe I owe you an apology for earlier. Don't get used to it."

He lightly slapped the back of her head as he heard a transmission from Control. He nodded and sighed heavily, slinging his Lancer over his shoulder.

"Control is picking us up for some much needed R&R and they want to debrief us on our next mission."

"Oh good." Jenny moaned, cracking her neck. "Lord knows I need to wash all this dirt and blood off."

Delta Squad sat in the dirt for an hour, exchanging stories of heroism, heartache and even some funny ones. Cole was about to share a story about when he was a thrashball player, but the whirring of the King Raven cut him off. Everyone loaded up and buckled in, and Marcus lent a hand to Jenny who was having trouble climbing in. He tugged too hard however, and she ended up very close to his chest. She tried backing away out of embarrassment, but Marcus wrapped his hand around her waist.

"Another step and you would have fallen right out. There aren't enough seats, so just stand here with me." He roared over the sound of the helicopter.

She hung on for dear life as the helicopter lifted off the ground and into the air, but it was somehow comfortable in the Sergeant's arms.


	3. The Wonderful Effects of Alcohol

After snapping off her old, beat up punctured armor, Jenny plopped herself onto an empty cot. She planted her face into the pillow and inhaled the musty, old smell. The sheets were a crisp white color, with the blanket being a dull blue. The mattress was extremely uncomfortable and the pillow was thin as paper, but you couldn't ask for much during wartime. She heard a thud by the door and looked up to see Baird leaning against the door frame. He laughed and waved his hand near his nose.

"Whew, I can smell the rotting Locust flesh from here!" He chuckled.

Jenny wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, but she defiantly needed a shower. She shoved Baird out of the way and headed for the showers. It was one big room with several stalls around. Jenny climbed into one and noticed that boards of wood that separated showers came up just past her chest, so if anyone else was in here, they couldn't see much. She walked back to her room and saw a towel hanging on the back of the door. She stripped down until she was wearing nothing, then wrapped the towel around herself and made her way back to the showers. She hung the towel on a nearby hook and climbed in, thankful for being alone. She played with some knobs until the water was at least lukewarm. She noticed small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and a bar of soap. They all smelled just awful, but she made do. She bent over and scrubbed the back of her neck, lightly touching the brand that lay there. She never knew what it said, but she didn't have much of an interest to find out. She heard a squeak and jumped up.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Marcus said from two stalls down.

"No, it's okay. I just didn't expect to see you here." She replied, rubbing the back of her neck.

"What, you think I actually enjoy being covered in Locust blood?" He replied with a barely audible chuckle.

Jenny looked down and noticed nothing but brown water running down the drain. She scrubbed her entire body until the water started to run a little bit clearer. Marcus watched her scrub her fine red hair in an effort to get the blood and dirt out of it. He could only see her from the shoulders up, but he wondered if the rest of her body was as pale. Marcus propped his elbow on the plank of wood that separated his shower.

"Do you always look like you're on death's doorstep, or is it just the lighting?" He asked.

"Erm, pardon?" She replied, caught off guard by his question.

"Your skin is paler than anyone I've ever seen. Are you sick?"

"Oh, that! No. Well, actually yes. It's nothing serious, I'm anemic. It's also the reason why I bruise easily and get very cold often."

Marcus simply nodded as she continued to wash the dirt off of her face, scrubbing until her skin was raw. It had been so long since he had seen another female even remotely naked. The water ran down her shoulders and her hair stuck to her neck like fierce, red tentacles. She pushed her hair back and wrung it out, shutting the water off. She looked to Marcus with a sad face.

"Can you please get my towel? It's right there." She asked sweetly, pointing to the hook on which it lay.

"What do I look like your fucking butler? Get it yourself." He scowled.

She rolled her eyes and leapt out of the shower at lightning speed and wrapped it around herself before Marcus could even get a second glance. She smiled and hopped down the hallway back to her cot, where she dried her hair off and slipped into a clean tank top and shorts. Food seemed appealing right now, but the mess hall food was bound to be terrible. She decided to try her luck anyway, but bumped into Baird on her way out.

"Hey, a bunch of us are going to hit the bar soon. Care to join us?"

She thought for a minute and smiled, "I'd love to."

Damon smiled wickedly as he went to retrieve Marcus. Cole and Dom were already waiting for her, and in a few short minutes, Damon and Marcus joined them as well. The bar was extremely loud and crowded, and the pulse of life was giving Genevieve a headache. The boys took their places on stools and she joined them, sitting between Marcus and Baird.

"What do you drink?" Baird asked, gripping a cold beer in his hand.

"I don't really drink actually. I rarely touch a drop."

Baird nodded and started her off with a simple, fruity drink with rum mixed in. She didn't take to it very well, the fruit juice just made it too sweet. Marcus silently sipped at his beer, watching Baird teach Genevieve about what to drink and what to avoid.

"You have to be careful about shots." He explained to her, "If you swig even three of them down fast, you'll be done in no time. Take into consideration your small frame, your gender and what you've eaten before you decide what to drink."

She was a small female who hadn't eaten very much, so that left her wide open to easy intoxication. Everyone knew that, save for her. She decided to take a shot of whiskey, and Marcus shook his head in disgust. Soon enough, she would be jumping on the bar, ripping her shirt off for the world to see and proclaiming how drunk she was. Just like every other female. Baird slapped Marcus' shoulder in a friendly manner and pushed a tiny glass of brown liquid in front of him.

"Go on sarge." He slurred, "Take a shot."

Marcus pushed it back and shook his head. Jenny jumped into a stool next to him with her own tiny glass. She stumbled slightly and had a shit-eating grin on her face.

"I'll do it with you if you're scared." She mumbled smoothly.

He scowled at her, but she gave him a look that could make a married man swoon. His lips twitched into a smirk and he picked up the glass, slightly knocking it against the young private's glass. Together they swigged it down as fast as they could, and Marcus coughed slightly from the burn. Genevieve tapped her glass on the bar table and motioned for more alcohol, but Dom covered her glass.

"I believe you've had enough young lady." He scolded, pushing the glass away.

She attempted to reach for it, but Marcus stopped her by place his enormous hand on her arm. She suddenly stopped and placed her hand on top of his and looked into his eyes. Marcus could see her eyes swimming with the intoxication and he knew whatever came out of her mouth next was not what she would mean if she were sober.

"Marcus, I want to fuck you so hard."


	4. Maria

Marcus stared at her in disbelief. If it wasn't for the fact that he could get court marshaled, he'd probably take her up on that offer. It had been so long though…he'd almost forgotten the female anatomy. He placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed up and down her arm. She closed her eyes and smiled ear to ear, but not before falling off her barstool. Marcus rolled his eyes and called for another shot. Baird helped her to her feet and she clung onto the bar with a white-knuckled grip. Jenny almost fell again, but Baird caught her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.

"Oh Damon, I love you so much." She smiled and stroked his blonde hair.

Dom sighed and grabbed Jenny from behind, throwing her over his broad shoulders.

"Come on, I think someone's had enough. I don't think you'd want to do something you'd regret for the rest of your life either." Dom scolded.

"No! Put me down RIGHT NOW! I WAS JUST ABOUT TO PULL OUT MY SWAGGER MOOOOVES." She slurred.

"What the hell does swagger even mean?" Dom asked, looking to Marcus.

"How the fuck should I know Dom? I'm thirty-seven years old, not twenty-two."

Dom shrugged and carried her into the bathroom. She had quite a bit to drink, so he naturally assumed she was going to vomit soon. She sat in front of the toilet looking confused and tired, and then violently threw her head forward. Dom chuckled lightly as he held her hair back and tried not to smell or look at it. She murmured something, but threw her head violently once more and gripped onto the rim. Marcus came in some time later and she looked at him with hazy eyes.

"You know, I just thought of something." He said, completely ignoring the smell.

"What's that?" Dom asked, still gripping Jenny's hair.

"She said she's twenty-two, right? And she said she was five when it started. Do the math, it doesn't add up."

Dom was silent for a minute, but Marcus was absolutely right. E-Day was fourteen years ago, and the UIR surrendered about two years before that…

"She's either got her math wrong, or she's older than she lead us to believe. Either way, it isn't a big deal. She's traumatized, so maybe they started younger than she thought?" Dom suggested.

"I'm twenty-six you morons!" She slurred and stood up.

"So why did you tell us twenty-two?" Marcus asked in a low growl.

She merely shrugged, leaving Marcus to assume it was merely to protect herself. He couldn't understand why, but the day he would understand women would be the day hell froze over. Dom helped her to her cot and tucked her in on her side, in case she vomited in her sleep.

The sun shined through the dirty glass window above Jenny's head, but it was still enough to make her groan and cover her pounding head.

_Why why why did I insist on drinking? I never did it before the war, what made me think I could handle it now? Ugh._

There was a pounding at her door and she leapt to her feet, only to see Marcus standing in the door frame.

"Get up and get ready sunshine, we've got a new recruit to train." She said, tossing her a clean shirt and pants.

She changed into a black tank top, khaki pants and her usual COG issued boots.

"You know, I could use a new pair of boots. Mine are getting worn down." She mentioned to the Sergeant as they walked into an open field.

"So do we all private, but these are tough times. Make do and stop your whining."

She winced at the bright sun and they finally stopped when they saw Lieutenant Anya Stroud.

"Good morning Marcus, and Private Ironheart."

"Morning Lieutenant." They said in unison and snapped a lazy salute.

Behind her stood a short kid in the typical COG armor with the helmet. She noticed the name etched on the armor read CARMINE, B. He snapped a sharp salute to Marcus, who merely snarled in his direction.

"Good morning Sergeant Fenix! " He said eagerly. He leaned in closer to read Jenny's name on her armor.

"And Good morning…Private Ironheart!" He didn't need to salute her, they were the same rank.

"You can just call me Jenny, sweetie." She replied warmly. He couldn't have been older than seventeen or eighteen.

"Do you have a brother or cousin in the COG? That name sounds familiar." Carmine asked.

Jenny twitched uncomfortably. "Don't know. It's possible, but I don't keep in touch with family anymore."

"Enough chit chat." Marcus growled, "It's time for me to show you the ropes, like your brother."

Carmine jumped like an excited kid. If he kept that up, he'd die just like his brother did. Jenny wasn't actually there, but she heard he made the number one mistake in a war zone. DON'T poke your head up unnecessarily. It leaves you open to snipers, especially when you're in wide open territory. She watched from behind the fence, admiring the way Marcus moved as dummies fired blanks at him. He pulled Carmine behind a wall and handed him a gun, yelling something at him. A voice behind her made her jump.

"He's just dreamy, ain't he?"

It was Cole, but she wasn't going to buy into his sarcasm.

"Oh come on, even a blind man knows you got eyes for Marcus." He laughed.

"I do not! Even if I did, I'm much too young for him."

Cole chuckled again and stared into the training area, watching Carmine clumsily make his way through.

"You're probably right about that."

She weaved her fingers in the holes in the fence and watched again as Marcus dragged carmine through the course. They finally finished and walked out the other side, where she jogged to meet them. Anya waited for them and the way Marcus looked at her made Jenny's heart wrench. She smiled warmly at him and touched his shoulder, saying something about keeping an eye on him. Suddenly, gunfire exploded around them and everyone reacted instantly. Anya climbed back in the chopper as Dom and Marcus protected her until it took off. Jenny reacted automatically and hit the first Locust she saw with the butt of her gun, shooting him when he got back far enough. She instinctively followed him back, shooting at all the Locust she could see. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her collar and someone drag her into the dirt behind cover.

"God damn it Genevieve, when I call your name you fucking listen!" Marcus shouted at her, shooting over the cover of the wall.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. I was…distracted."

"I can see that."

She leaned over the wall and shot at an incoming Locust, and soon enough she was doing everything automatically. Her arms, fingers and legs didn't need to ask her brain if they could move, shoot or kill. She was like a well-oiled machine as she cut through the last locust, feeling chunks of bone collide with her fragile face. She wiped the blood from her face, but she couldn't tell if it was hers or not. Dom chuckled slightly and wiped the blood trickling from her forehead.

"You need to be careful when you operate that thing." He said, handing her a cloth. "Bone can get in your eye, and you can only imagine the kind of damage that can do."

She smiled at him and unfolded the cloth, and a small picture fell out. Jenny grabbed it before Dom even realized what he lost. It looked like him, but much younger, and a beautiful woman next to him. The picture looked dim and worn from age. She flipped it over and read a small, handwritten note.

_So you always have me with you. I love you Dominic._

_Always, Maria_

"Who is she?" Jenny asked as Dom snatched the picture from her.

"My wife, Maria. She's missing, remember? I told you about it earlier."

She nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry Dom. She's so beautiful."

"Yeah, well, she's not dead yet. I know she's out there, and I'll find her."


	5. Seperation

"As much as I'd love to sit and chat ladies," Baird chimed in sarcastically, "we've got to get moving before more of them come."

Jenny rolled her eyes and punched Baird in the jaw lightly.

"You're really fucking annoying you know that?"

"Yeah, and without me you'd all be up shit's creek without a paddle."

It was true though. Everyone thought he was annoying and a loud mouth, but without him they wouldn't know shit about the Locust. Every vehicle they've ever been in would probably be up in flames by now too. Carmine decided to change the subject, but not necessarily for the better.

"So Jenny, do you miss your family?"

"Well…I guess you could say I miss my mother. My father? I couldn't care less."

"Why? Did he do something wrong?"

Jenny couldn't exactly blame him for being curious. He was young, and he was probably sheltered so he didn't know any better to ask about people's personal affairs.

"Let's just say he left me for dead, and if I find him I'll skin him alive."

"But why would he—"

"Ben, shut it." Marcus interrupted. "If Genevieve wants to talk about she will. Leave it alone."

There was a terrible rumble beneath their feet, and Jenny could barely hear Anya over the comm as the ground bulged and buckled beneath her feet. It was then that she realized she was standing directly over an emergence hole and tried to run from it. The ground fell under her and she tumbled inside, smashing her head against the wall. As she fell, she tried desperately tried to cling onto something before she fell into imulsion. She grabbed onto a dark object that seemed to move upwards. When she got back to the surface, she realized she was clinging to the neck of a drone. Everyone paused for a few heartbeats, and then Delta Squad opened fire on the surrounding Locust. The drone ran wildly and bucked like a wild animal, and Jenny wrapped her legs around his waist in an effort to keep steady. She had dropped her Lancer when she fell in the hole, so she grabbed her shotgun strapped to her lower back. She held his neck in a choke-hold while the other hand aimed for the back of his head. Before she could pull the trigger, a boomer had knocked her off with bone-crushing force.

"For fuck's sake Ironheart, how do you get yourself in this shit?" Marcus shouted as he ran to her.

She tumbled and crashed onto the hard, unforgiving ground and tried desperately to scramble to her feet when she noticed the Boomer was coming after her. It seemed to laugh when it grabbed her ankle, and she screamed and writhed as hard she could to get out of its grasp. It held her upside down and stared at her briefly, not moving, not doing anything. She took this opportunity to grab her shotgun and plant it into the Boomer's eye and pull the trigger. It dropped her roughly and stumbled back in pain as she reloaded and shot it once more, tackling it to the ground and beating it with the butt of her gun. She heard its nose snap, and it looked as if it were gasping for air. She left it alone and stood up, struggling to breathe herself.

"Shit, remind me to never meet you in a dark alley." Dom laughed half out of fear and half out of excitement.

She tried to laugh, but it was entirely too painful for her. The Boomer must have broken a rib or two when he threw her. Marcus called for evac as Baird tried to tend to her wounds. Marcus walked over to her and bent down.

"Someone will be here soon." Was all he said.

"Reminds me of the time you and I did that Marcus." Dom chuckled.

"We didn't fight it face-to-face. We jumped on its head, remember?"

"You fought a boomer head-on?" Jenny chuckled.

"Yeah we did. It was a few years ago actually."

"Shouldn't you have healed by now?" Marcus asked, keeping an eye out for a Raven or a vehicle of some kind.

"I can't heal if there's something blocking the wound," She said. "So my rib has probably punctured my lung."

"How are you still standing?" Baird asked.

"Oh hell, I've seen worse." She strained, and eventually collapsed.

A King Raven eventually came for her, but she was unconscious by the time it arrived. The _chokka chokka chokka_ sound in the distance brought comfort to everyone as it landed several hundred feet away. Marcus gently picked her up and carried her in, while the medics attempted to rush oxygen into her body. The outlines of her lips and beds of her fingernails were beginning to turn blue.

"Will you please fucking step on it?" Marcus shouted. "She's not getting any oxygen. She can't breathe."

The Raven eventually landed on the roof of the hospital in Jacinto where they had a stretcher waiting for her. As they carried her away downstairs, Marcus and Dom stayed on the rooftop.

"How does she get herself into situations like that?" Marcus asked seriously.

"She's a magnet for trouble I guess." Dom replied, only half-joking.

Marcus shrugged and threw his lancer over his shoulder and stared out into the sunset. Dom joined him and sighed, wondering if Jenny was doing alright in there with Dr. Hayman. Hell, she was probably fighting with that old bat if she's conscious right now. Dom had known Marcus since they were kids, and though he was difficult to read, he looked like he had something on his mind. Before he could ask, Marcus already spoke.

"Why does she have to do stupid shit like that? She's going to get herself killed, like…"

Marcus didn't even need to finish. The pain came crashing down on Dom full force. He kicked his boot against the ground, cursing the day he wasn't there when his brother died.

"Is that why you worry so much about her? Because you think she'll end up like Carlos?" Dom asked, half annoyed.

"I worry because she's my squad member, Dom. You know that."

"Yeah, well I know it runs deeper than that."

"Dom, give it a rest. You're delusional."

Dom sighed and half smiled. He knew Marcus had eyes for Anya since they first met, but he's also noticed that Marcus has been having a hard time _not _checking Jenny out.

"Come on Marcus. She's cute, isn't she?"

Marcus didn't reply and went inside. Dom followed him into the recovery wing where they found several hundred Gears, but none of them matching Jenny. They searched through the sea of faces, some missing an eye, others missing half their face. They found a dark red haired girl lying on a bed facing away from them, mumbling to herself. Marcus lightly touched her shoulder.

"Genevieve? Are you feeling okay?"

She rolled over in shock, and softened when she saw them. Ben was sitting across from her, and they hadn't even seen him. He actually had his helmet off, and he wasn't kidding when he said he was the youngest of his brothers. He had dark black hair and cool green eyes set in a pale, white face. He waved at them and smiled, and Marcus noticed he had a slight gap between his teeth.

"She's been awake for a while now, we've been talking."

Marcus nodded. "Are you ready to leave? Word is that Prescott's got something big going on."

"Hayman won't let me leave. She's being an old bitch about it."

She laid flat on her back with her hands folded neatly on her chest, staring at the ceiling with half-closed, empty eyes. Whatever it was that she and Ben were talking about, it left her drained emotionally. Marcus thought about what Dom said earlier, and he knew he was right. She was cute, but that's about as far as it went. He noticed her hands begin to tremble slightly.

"Are you okay?" Ben whispered.

Her eyes became moist for a brief second, until she struggled to sit up. Her hair covered her face as she stood up and grabbed her IV pole.

"I just have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a quick second."

"Should I get the doctor?" Dom asked.

She shook her head and went into the bathroom and they heard it click to lock. Marcus rolled his eyes slightly, sensing a bad idea coming on. He walked over to the door and knocked gently, and jumped when he heard glass smash. He knocked again, this time a little harder, and heard muffled screaming. She ripped the door open, and her hair was a tangled mess. There was blood running down her arms, and when Marcus looked past her he could see the mirror in pieces.

"Grab my armor; we're getting out of here." She said quickly.

Dom dug through the small locker next to her bed and grabbed anything he could find. Ben jumped up and followed them out, snapping on her armor as they went. They jogged out into the streets of Jacinto, making their way to the command center where there were hundreds, possibly thousands of other Gears waiting.

"I hope you know you're not going to get away with that." Marcus mumbled.

"I'm healed now, and these wounds from the IV will heal soon too. She's got nothing to prove if she finds out."

They listened intently as Chairman Prescott gave a speech about the next big step for humans in this war. He described an assault on Landown, a city that's been lost to the Locust for quite some time. From there, they would be able to ride grindlifts down into the Hollows and take the fight to the Locust home front. A hushed awe fell over the enormous crowd, some excited and others nervous. Prescott gave everyone a minute to think it over, but Jenny, Marcus and Dom knew what they had to do. Jenny could barely see Baird's blonde, spiky head in the crowd ahead with Cole next to him. She wondered what they were thinking about this insane idea as Prescott divided everyone into squads.

"Delta squad will consist of Corporal Damon Baird, Private Augustus Cole, Corporal Dominic Santiago and Sergeant Marcus Fenix. Kyra Squad will consist of Corporal Juliet Holmes, Private Tai Kaliso, Private Genevieve Ironheart and Sergeant Brian Garrison."

Jenny tuned out everything else he said, because she was devastated that she was being separated from Delta. She looked up at Marcus, and he looked back at her with a look she couldn't read. It had seemed almost like he was sad. He held out his hand, and she gripped it tight.

"It was good working with you." He said simply.

Jenny just stared back into his bright blue eyes that held a fierce, tragic past. She wanted to hug him goodbye, but knew that she couldn't.

"Yeah, watch your back. You won't have me doing it for you."


	6. Fuckin' Tickers

Marcus didn't exactly smile, but his frown softened a little.

"Tai Kaliso's a good guy. I fought with him in the Pendulum Wars." He said.

"Yeah, he says some weird philosophy shit, but he's alright." Dom added.

Jenny smiled and said her goodbyes, then walked outside to meet her new squad. She met a very tall, dark skinned man with various tattoos on his face. His name plate read PRIVATE T. KALISO.

"You must be Tai." She said softly and held her hand out. He shook it firmly. "Marcus told me about you."

"Marcus Fenix? Ah, he's a good man." He replied. His voice was soft and smooth.

She read her other squad members' name tags and introduced herself. Corporal Holmes was a short woman, which was saying something considering Jenny was very short herself. She had short brown hair with bright green eyes. Sergeant Garrison was also rather short, maybe just a hair taller. He was bald with dark brown eyes. He frowned at her when she smiled.

"It's bad enough I'm stuck with rookies such as yourselves, so let's cut the introduction and follow out, alright?" He barked to Juliet and Jenny.

Jenny mentally rolled her eyes but snapped off a crisp salute followed by a yes sir. She climbed into the Derrick and strapped herself in.

"This here's Lola." The driver said, roaring the Rig to life. "Be nice to her, she's a lady after all."

The only window was the windshield, so she took this precious time to try to get a minute or two of sleep. This was, of course, interrupted when Garrison ordered everyone up top to patrol for danger. The air was unusually brisk, but she stood looking out to the Derrick in front of her.

"Jenny baby, where are you? I can't see you anywhere!"

Jenny smiled to herself.

"Hey Cole Train, I'm on Lola apparently. Very last rig."

"Aww, well you probably won't get to see much action." Cole replied.

"Probably not." She chuckled. "Shoot a grub or two for me if you see 'em."

Juliet stared ahead, wrinkling her nose and narrowing her eyes. Her body tensed.

"There's trouble ahead, I can feel it." She whispered.

That was a little self explanatory, considering they were rolling toward Landown. Sure enough, her earpiece exploded with noise as nemacyst were spotted high in the sky. Jenny took aim out of pure habit, but quickly realized she didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of shooting anything. A nemacyst headed her way and crashed on the deck of Lola, sending her flying back and almost off the vehicle itself. Tai grabbed her hand and dragged her back onto the deck and wiped the blood from her nose. The firefight ahead was getting tense, and Jenny was feeling guilty that she couldn't protect her fellow gears. Marcus announced an all clear, but there was suddenly a loud ticking sound. Not like a bomb, but like something…_moving_.

"Does anyone hear that?" She asked.

She looked over the deck and onto the ground where she saw several small creatures running alongside the Rig. Jenny never saw them before.

"Tickers!" Tai shouted.

Jenny still didn't understand until they made their way under the rig and there was a strong rumble beneath her feet. A blast knocked her off her feet, and when she scrambled to get up and run, another blast shot her straight into the sky. It almost seemed to be in slow motion as she attempted to reach for Juliet's hand, who looked terrified. She was so high up; she could see the other rigs rolling into Landown. She tried to scream for help, but quickly realized that her earpiece had been knocked out and probably destroyed. She began her plummet back to the ground and squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she was going to die or come close to it.

"What the hell happened to Lola?" Dizzy asked in alarm.

Cole looked back and barely saw that the rig was completely destroyed. He froze in place.

"Wasn't Tai riding on Lola?" Dom asked.

"Yeah, and Jenny was too." Cole replied sourly.

Marcus' jaw muscles twitched and he blinked rapidly. He was a complicated man that rarely showed any emotion, but when he did his rapid blinking, Dom knew something was wrong. He didn't even need to ask.

"Don't worry guys, she's crafty. I'm sure she's fine." Dom said, hiding his own fears for her.

Jenny opened her eyes and tried to cough, but found it extremely painful. How did she always seem to get in the worst situations? She sat up and noticed that her arm was dislocated, and there were pieces of Lola everywhere. She tried to stand, but it was much too painful. She sat in the dirt, waiting for her body to heal her wounds already. As she sat in the dirt, her mind wandered to anyone else being alive. Tai probably was, he was built like a tank. But Juliet and Brian? Probably not. She thought of her old squad, the one she had before she met up with Delta. Her best friend, Private Adeline Locke, had sacrificed herself to make sure the grenade Jenny had planted would go off. It seemed stupid of her to stay, because what reason would it not go off? It's happened before, sure, but why would she stay? Jenny beat her forehead with her fist, agitated. Her morose thoughts were broken by a voice in the distance. She could swear it was Tai calling for her.

"Tai? Tai Kaliso?" She called.

"Genevieve, where are you?" He called.

"Right over here."

She waved slightly and Tai checked the surrounding area for enemies, then tucked his lancer behind him. He reached underneath Jenny and picked her up bridal style with ease, then jogged in the direction of Landown.

"Did you find Corporal Holmes or Sergeant Garrison?" She asked.

"Just their COG tags. They did not make it." He replied solemnly.

She could see Marcus, Dom, Baird and Cole in the distance and couldn't help but smile wildly. Tai set her down, but she immediately fell because her ankle was broken as well.

"Jenny baby, you're still around!" Cole cheered and hugged her.

"What can I say? I'm hard to take out." She chuckled.

Baird examined her arm and foot, then gently took her arm and stretched it up.

"This is going to hurt like a bitch."

Before Jenny could prepare herself, Baird snapped it back into place with a loud pop, causing her scream in agony. She moved her arm up, down and around, and sure enough, it was back into place. She rolled her ankle slightly, which was sore but had healed a little already. She looked at Marcus, who was rapidly blinking.

"You didn't think I lived through that?" She asked, jerking her thumb in the direction of the wrecked Derrick.

"To be honest, not really. But you also never cease to surprise me."

She smiled at him, and she could swear on her squad mates' graves that he smiled right back at her.


	7. Kiss

Either his smile faded as quickly as it came, or she was simply imagining things. Either way, it made her a little sad. Marcus reported to Control that several of the assault derricks had been destroyed, but that Jenny and Tai had survived. He almost sounded…happy. No, not happy. _Relieved_. Dom nudged him slightly and smiled. Marcus merely shook his head and frowned deeply. Cole laughed and threw the young Private over his shoulder.

"Cole, put me down! I can walk just fine!" She screamed, banging on his armored back.

Cole set her down and she nearly fell from the pain that still existed. Cole gave her a look and threw her back over his shoulder and ran into the abandoned town. Cole skidded to a stop as fire rained down from the sky not too far from them, causing the ground to vibrate and tremble.

"Get back!" Jenny screamed, "Mortars!"

"There's no way in hell I'm bringing Betty through that." Dizzy yelled over the comm.. "You're going to have to take him out boys…and girl."

Jenny stood up and looked side to side. Two could take the rooftops to the right and three could take the derelict building to the left. Marcus ordered Baird, Cole and Tai to the rooftops while she and Marcus swept the building. Tactically, that was a dumbass move since Jenny could barely move, but she didn't dare question his logic. She hobbled into the building before mortars could rain down on her and Marcus walked up the stairs.

"Shit!" She heard him hiss and soon heard the whirr of a chainsaw.

She ran up the stairs and saw Marcus wiping blood away from his eyes and together they moved forward onto the open deck. They could easily see Tai, Baird and Cole on the opposite side, but facing their own problems. Jenny heard the unmistakable screech of locust as Marcus opened fire. She grabbed her Lancer and opened fire as well. A drone leaped over a wall, but crumpled back down under a hail of fire. She smiled to herself, but couldn't enjoy the victory as a locust tackled her to the ground. He roared above her and raised a Lancer that he robbed from a dead gear. Jenny raised her chainsaw just in time to clash with the drone's, and sparks flew in every direction as teeth combated against teeth.

"A little help here, Marcus?" She roared over the noise of the chainsaw.

He didn't seem to hear her, and she was losing this duel fast. Her best chance was to roll over, jump up, and knock the drone off the deck before he had a chance to react. She rolled as fast as she could, but caught the tip of the chainsaw deep her jaw and jumped up. The drone revved his chainsaw once more, but Jenny smashed the butt of her gun as hard as she could in his mouth and pushed him over the balcony where he fell into the ground. Seeing that he was still moving, Jenny tossed a grenade down to keep him company. The adrenaline began to wear off and she began to feel the pain in her cheek full force. Marcus knelt by her side and examined her face. A good portion of her cheek was gone, and he could see her teeth straight through the wound.

"We have to get it cleaned." She moaned. "If it gets infected, I'm done for."

Marcus took out a small first aid kit and radioed Baird to walk him through the treatment.

"Is it really that bad? I mean, we have to conserve this stuff."

"Baird, I can see her fucking teeth. You tell me."

There was a sigh and a slight pause as Baird ran several options through his mind.

"Alright. Jenny, you better find something to hold onto tight because it's going to hurt. Marcus, remove any obstructions if there are any. Then, pour the hydrogen peroxide into the wound. Don't swallow it Jenny."

Jenny kicked her legs wildly and tried to scream. Marcus laced his fingers with hers and she squeezed as hard as her muscles would let her.

"Okay, that's done." Marcus winced. "Now what?"

"Cover a bandage with antibiotic ointment and carefully place it on the wound. Don't swallow it Jenny. Don't lick it either. Keep your jaw clenched and you should be alright."

"Will she be okay? Will we have to call for evac?"

"Not as long as you keep that bandage on. Sure, she's got magic healing powers, but if she gets an infection out here, not even Doc Hayman will be able to save her ass."

Marcus switched the radio to receive only and gently placed the bandage on her cheek. She whimpered slightly, but with the wound covered she knew she'd be okay.

"Now you can't talk, so try not to say anything."

"I know." She said between clenched teeth.

Jenny realized she was still holding his hand and pulled it back in embarrassment. Marcus gave her a confused look and softly touched her hand.

"You make me feel…human." He said softly.

Every characteristic of his cold, hard demeanor began to chip away. She never thought of him as being inhuman, but she was sure there were others that did. She was so sure that there were a million things running through his head, but he just couldn't say them. Maybe it was out of fear, or he just wasn't the kind of person to express his feelings thoroughly.

"Have you always felt like that about me?" She asked painfully.

"I…guess. Yeah." He replied, unsure of his own feelings.

"I really, really like you Marcus."

"You should stop talking; you might make your wound worse." He whispered and leaned in for a kiss.

She smiled to herself, pleased with the electric sensation it brought her. It was like a scene straight out of the movies. Girl falls for boy during war, boy feels same way, boy and girl kiss as the world falls apart beneath their feet. It seemed so cliché, but she loved every second of it.

Sera could burn beneath her feet and she wouldn't care. As long as she had Marcus, everything was perfect.


	8. Wake Up

Cole blew the door open for Jenny and Marcus and they were able to move on again. Neither of them spoke about what happened, and she beginning to think it was a spur-of-the-moment type of deal. After all, wasn't he involved with Anya?

She continued to dwell on her thoughts until Marcus pushed her against the wall. She was about to protest when he pushed his body against hers and breathed gently in her ear.

"Don't move. Don't make a sound."

She closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting for the locust outside the window to leave already. She had to admit, she sort of liked this type of contact with Marcus. If it wasn't for the fact that he was trying to save their asses, she would take this as a come on.

"I think it's gone." Marcus sighed, stepping away from her.

She nodded and wanted to ask him a million questions, but she knew this wasn't the time nor the place to do so. They walked into a large room, and through the dusty, grimy windows she could see Tai, Baird and Cole on the opposite building fighting off more Locusts. Jenny broke the window, dived through and shoved a few Locusts off the balcony while covering fire for her squad. Suddenly she could feel massive but uneven vibrations beneath her boots.

"Emergence hole?" She shouted to Marcus.

"No, look!" Tai said over the comm.

She could see him pointing down a large dark tunnel, and something was getting closer. Coming out of the tunnel was the biggest god damn Locust she had ever seen. She thought it might have been a brumak, but she had never seen one before. Marcus had snatched her arm and tried to get her to tuck and roll back into the abandoned hotel, but the brumak opened fire on the balcony and it was collapsing beneath her feet. She tried to outrun the destruction and dive into the building, but she was too late. She dived for Marcus' hand but was unable to reach it in time.

Marcus swore under his breath for not catching her in time, but he needed to deal with the brumak first. He unstrapped the mortar tied to his back and positioned it on the windowsill, angling the barrel just right to rain fire down. The brumak swung its enormous arm at Tai, but he managed to evade just in time and set his mortar up to fire as well. The air seemed to shake and split as the mortars whistled from the barrel and into the air, exploding and raining shrapnel down onto the brumak. It howled in pain until it was hit by another set of mortars fired from Tai's gun. The mortars seemed almost like fireworks that he remembered as a kid, just a little more violent. His mother didn't like them, and liked that Carlos Santiago let him set some off in his back yard even less. Sometimes Marcus wondered if things would be different if Carlos had survived the end of the war, if he would even survive E-Day. The brumak gave one final howl before it crumpled to ground, dead as a doornail. Things grew eerily quiet as Marcus ran back through the abandoned hotel and back to the pile of debris that Genevieve was trapped in. By the time he got there he could see that Dom and Cole were already furiously tearing away chunks of cement and wood.

"I'm fine, really." He heard her groan as he got closer.

She stumbled out of the wreckage covered and dust and a minor scratch on her forehead. Marcus touched it gingerly, and looked her up and down. Save for a minor scratch and some bruises that will no doubt surface later, she seemed fine. She smiled at him and her eyes filled with tears. She was safe, but she was scared. She didn't want to be killed by these monsters like her previous squads had been. Marcus honestly felt sorry for her for a second, but it quickly disappeared when Dizzy roared past in his 'Dill. Dom called her name and when she turned, he tossed her lancer towards her. She caught it one-handed and checked the ammo clip and nodded in the direction of the cave.

"Dizzy, can we get some lights? It's kind of dark." Jenny called out.

"Might versus light." Tai mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ben asked, walking next to the large South Islander.

"It means I would take two guns as opposed to a flashlight." He replied.

Jenny smiled to herself. You may as well just shoot yourself in the foot while you're at it, but Tai was big enough that he probably could do without a flashlight. She was about to join the banter when there was a quiet clicking sound echoing in the cavern.

"Did you hear that?" Marcus grunted.

"Yeah." She replied. "Sounded like—"

"TICKERS!" Dom shouted from the front and opened fire.

Jenny dashed behind an old, rusted-out car and rested her gun on top of the hood and opened fire. She heard a few screams and explosions when one scuttled next to her. It stopped, screamed and lit itself on fire.

"Oh for the love of God!" She screamed as she kicked it away.

She couldn't find Marcus in the chaos, but knew he was doing well because she hadn't heard any screams of pain or the sound of Dom panicking. Ben was ducked behind cover and he didn't even see the ticker next to him, getting ready to explode. She ran to him and kicked it away as he looked up, seemingly confused.

"Open your goddamned eyes or you won't live to see tomorrow, shithead!" She screamed as she opened fire on the last of the tickers.

They exploded easily and Jenny waited with Ben for the rest of the squad to regroup. Tai slowly wandered towards her, then Marcus and Dom. She could hear Cole laughing at the end of the tunnel and Baird yelling to him for something.

"Is everyone alright?" Marcus asked. "Any injuries?"

"No, but Ben needs to keep his eyes open or he's going to end up like his brother." She blurted.

Dom quickly shook his head at her and Marcus gave her a dark look. She instantly felt embarrassed as she watched Ben stiffen, then walk to the end of the tunnel to meet with Cole and Baird. As soon as he was out of earshot, Marcus grabbed her by the shoulder.

"You wanna keep your fucking mouth shut?" He hissed. "He thinks his brother died a hero."

She pursed her lips and winced. She couldn't say anything, just took off down the tunnel after him. She caught up to him and slapped his shoulder playfully.

"Hey." She said.

He said nothing in reply.

"Look, I'm really sorry Ben. What I said back there, that was completely out of line. I never met your brother, but Marcus told me he was a good kid. I think he really died a hero."

"Yeah, well our brother Clay always told him to keep his head down. I think that's what killed him in the end."

Jenny frowned and gave him an across-the-shoulders hug, something completely alien to her. She then reached into her pocket on her chest and pulled out a very dull, overused strand of blue ribbon.

"You carry strands of ribbon with you?" Baird asked as she tied her hair up.

"No, just this one. I think it was a gift from my mother, but I can't remember. She was compassionate, but a complete slave to my father. Whatever he wanted, he got. No questions asked."

Baird was quiet for a minute until Dom chuckled. "Holy shit, mark the calendar! Something made Baird shut up."

Jenny snorted lightly and Marcus was stoic as ever. Nothing would ever change that fact; his quiet, almost bitter demeanor and her light hearted yet tragic behavior. She touched the ribbon in her hair and could feel the threads unwinding and tickling the back of her neck. Secretly she hoped her father was still alive so he could answer for what he did. Sometimes she hoped her mother was dead for letting him put her through that pain. Her scars were mainly on her chest and back; she had a few on her arms from botched IV's. She couldn't remember where they lived; it was something starting with an "I." Every time she tried to remember she got a splitting headache.

"Marcus, can we stop for a minute? I don't feel well." Jenny asked, rubbing her head.

Marcus looked around, then nodded and began to strip off his gear. "We'll rest here for a few hours. I'll keep watch."

Jenny jammed her pack under her head for support and stopped thinking about her old life. She eventually fell asleep, dreaming of murky grey thoughts. She could hear a faint whisper in the back of her mind, but she couldn't make it out.

"Please…please." The voice begged.

It was tantalizingly familiar, but the harder she thought about it, the more it wafted away like smoke. She could hear the voice a little louder now, almost in a panic.

"Please, please wake up. I'm begging you love, just wake up."


End file.
